


Since When Do You Believe in Fate?

by 221blackandwhitestripes



Series: Gotham Season 5 Fics [6]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Day Two: Fate/Destiny, Enemies to Friends, Episode: s05e07 Ace Chemicals, Fate & Destiny, Gen, Light Angst, Nygmobblepot Week 2019, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Prequel, Reminiscing, Season/Series 05, Short, becoming friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 19:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18238973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/221blackandwhitestripes/pseuds/221blackandwhitestripes
Summary: Oswald goes to Ed for help, but Ed might take some convincing.(5x07 Ace Chemicals)Nygmobblepot Week Day Two: Fate/Destiny





	Since When Do You Believe in Fate?

**Author's Note:**

> Short one, yay! I am not feeling the best, so if I had something to say for this one, I have forgotten it. So please just enjoy!

Oswald takes a deep breath and stares at the wall of books that stretches out in front of him. Geniuses and fools putting what they see in the world down in print for all to see. Kings and Queens, Beggars and Dragons. He wonders which one in those worlds they would paint him to be.

“After all this time, you’ve come to _me_ for help?” Oswald doesn’t look, can hear the mockery in Ed’s voice already, _thank you very much_. He doesn’t need those stone cold eyes and that pitiful smile. Not when he closes his eyes and sees Ed rosy-cheeked and warm, skin flickering by a fireplace. 

“After allowing strange to put a _chip_ into my brain, attempting to sell me out to Gordon, and after naming…” Oswald turns back to him with a peevish smile, waiting for him to continue. “A _dog_ after me?”

“First of all,” Oswald steps forward, raising a finger. His shoes click loudly on the silent floor, filling up the gaps between them. “I am _very_ fond of that dog. Secondly, I had Hugo Strange _save_ your life. Thirdly, do you really think I didn’t have plans to save you from _Jim Gordon?_ ”

“Save me?” Ed chuckles, looking him up and down. “You always have an answer for everything, don’t you, Oswald?”

“A plan for every occasion,” Oswald agrees bitterly, not liking Ed’s tone. “We have been through all of this before.” Oswald gestures wildly between them, tired of the game. “I’ve tried to kill you, you’ve tried to kill me, but here we are. In this room. Together.” Oswald looks up at him earnestly. Ed remains a statue. “It means fate has different plans for us.”

Ed lowers his gun. “Fate?” Ed questions with a scoff. “Since when do you believe in fate?”

_Remember I mentioned fate?_

_Do you believe in fate? Do you believe in a man finding you in the woods, patching you up, and not quite letting you go? Do you believe in grasping hands, possessive smiles and a bullet in my chest?_

_Do you believe music can heal your bones and ignite your soul, or that a cup of tea can make you fall in love? Do you believe that people - some people - are just too perfect for you to not be destiny?_

_Since when do you believe in fate?_

“Since you,” Oswald tells him, shrugs like it’s simple simply because it is.

Ed scowls, black in his eyes. “We’re not like that. You know that.”

“Of course, I know,” Oswald sighs, feels his heart twist. “Believe me,” He looks Ed up and down. “I can see when I’m not wanted.”

“Well, I didn’t say that.” Ed counterclockwises himself, spinning Oswald’s head.

“You should be clearer when you speak,” is all Oswald can manage, eyes skirting up the skirting boards, eyeing the dusty light fittings in Ed’s makeshift hideout.

Ed shakes his head like he’s pushing the words between them away. “What are these plans?”

Oswald smiles, glad for a change of pace. “Haven’t you realized what Gotham is, yet? It is no longer a city. It is a prison. And I think it’s time we escaped.”

“You might have a point there,” Ed says gently, capturing Oswald eyes like a lovesick fool, and it tastes cruel, “It certainly sounds... _fated_.”

Oswald pinches his lips together, feels wave surge inside his chest. “Yes, very funny, Edward.” He doesn’t have the energy to make it genuine, only empty.

“I wasn’t joking, Oswald.”

Oswald pushes his fingers into his eyes and wonders if he should just leave. Maybe drive his boat into that river, the mines be damned, just to see what kind of hand fate would deal him.

“Oswald!” A hand latches onto his wrist, pulls him up like there’s a bullet in his chest and blackwater in his lungs and Ed has finally decided to save him.

Oswald looks up.

“I’m sorry,” Ed shakes his head, gesturing to the walls. “It’s this place right now. Everything is confusing and I feel like if I stop fighting the world for a moment; it’ll simply swallow me whole.”

Oswald nodded, gazing up at the ceiling. “I can see how those awful lampshades would make you feel that way.”

“Not those, you jelly-brain,” Ed sighs, letting go of Oswald’s wrist. 

Oswald snort at the name as he rubs his wrist, feeling the fingerprints along his skin like raised tattoos. He doesn’t think they'll fade, but surely every other touch Ed has given him has faded as well.

“It's this city,” Ed continues, “I felt it like this in Arkham, too.” Ed shrugs and Oswald nods his understanding. He’d felt it. The water surrounding him and the constant struggle to keep his head above it. Darkness creeping in at the corners of his eyes. The monster that forever stayed in his blind spot, but he caught glimpses of every so often. A true hell hole. “I just need to get out.”

“I think if we work together, that can happen,” Oswald tells him gently, hopes Ed will take to this, hopes Ed won’t push him away again.

“Together?” Ed repeats.

“As long as the word doesn’t strike fear into your heart, together indeed,” Oswald confirms.

“No fear,” Ed shrugs, fingertips twisting together like snakes, “This is a dark city. I could use a friend to walk with.”

How fateful for Ed to be everything Oswald has ever wanted.

Oswald smiles, gathers everything up and pushes it way down where it cannot rise. Cement shoes, a bullet at the docks. “I hope you find that in me. And I in you.”

A friend in the dark.

Ed smiles. “Well, let’s get to work then.”

Oswald nods, following Ed when he walks away.

Fate stays lying on the floor, and Oswald steps over it when Ed leads him to the next room. They aren’t like that, he’d said. Not anymore, anyway.

Oswald can survive that. He can survive anything. He's sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> I know what you're thinking: That can't be it? Well consider this as a bit of a prequel for another fic that will be coming up this week ;) Thank you for reading! As per the norm, any and all comments/kudos are very much appreciated! Have a good day, y'all.


End file.
